Caswell, Edwards, Hicks, McDonald and More Cast in Elegies

By Andrew Gans
01 Oct 2008

Sweet & Tart Productions in association with Summoners Ensemble Theatre will present a limited engagement of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens Oct. 10-19 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Directed by Brad Caswell, the 40-person cast will feature the talents of Michael Beatty, Ken Bolander, Jane Brockman, Brad Caswell, Charlie Coniglio, Carla Davenport, Phillip Deyesso, Rhonda Dodd, Jill Edwards, Morgan Foxworth, Scott Fried, Amy Garson, Tracy Grant, Jarrod Hicks, John Kevin Jones, Mike Lesser, Gary Lizardo, Michael Lundy, India McDonald, Venita McLemore, Jimmy Moon, Terry Olear, Miles Phillips, Rebecka Ray, Dan Renkin, Beatrice Rigaud, Troy Valjean Rucker, Tiffany Smetak, Joey Stocks, Sandra Trullinger, Nikki Van Cassele, Alyssa Van Gorder, Nefeli Vasiliadou, Ricardo Valdez, Kimberly Vaughn, Joshua Warr, Miranda Wilkins, DaRon Williams and Kit Williams.

Elegies features book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Janet Hood and was inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and Edgar Lee Master's "Spoon River Anthology."

In a statement co-creator Russell said, "I am delighted that Brad Caswell is putting together the first New York production of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens in several years. Unfortunately, AIDS is still very much with us and hopefully his company of generous performers will help remind people of that."

The creative team also includes musical director Julie McBride and choreographer Venita McLemore.

Show times are Oct. 10 and 17 at 7 PM and Oct. 11 at 3 PM. The Oct. 19 performance, which begins at 6 PM, will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and will be hosted by Bill Russell and Tim Gunn; tickets for the benefit performance are priced $125 and also include dinner.

The Laurie Beecham Theater is located within the West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd Street at Ninth Avenue. Tickets, priced $25, are available by calling (212) 695-6909 or by visiting www.sweetandtart.org.